Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why does the Resource Backup Status Report show "Air-Gapped Backup = No" for my EC2 instances even though Air-Gap Backup is enabled in the backup policy?
When Air-Gapped Backup is enabled for Amazon EC2 workloads, the Resource Backup Status Report may display both Air-Gapped Backup = Yes and Air-Gapped Backup = No entries for the same protected instance.
Resource Type | Description | Air-Gapped Backup Status |
EC2Instance | Local AWS snapshot stored within your AWS account | No |
EC2Image | Air-gapped copy stored in Druva's isolated cloud storage | Yes |
This behavior is expected and indicates that the backup workflow is functioning correctly.
The presence of both entries confirms that the backup was successfully created locally and then copied to Druva's air-gapped storage.
2. What operations occur during an air-gap enabled EC2 backup?
An EC2 air-gapped backup consists of two stages:
Local Snapshot Creation
Druva creates a snapshot in your AWS account.
This appears in the report as an EC2Instance entry.
Since the snapshot remains within your AWS environment, it is not considered air-gapped.
Air-Gapped Copy Creation
Druva copies the snapshot to its isolated cloud storage.
This appears in the report as an EC2Image entry.
This is the actual air-gapped backup and is reported as Air-Gapped Backup = Yes.
3. How can I verify that my EC2 air-gapped backups are working correctly?
Review the Resource Backup Status Report and verify that:
Corresponding EC2Image entries exist for your protected EC2 instances.
The Air-Gapped Backup column for these entries displays Yes.
The number of EC2Image entries approximately matches the number of EC2 instances protected with air-gap enabled.
If these conditions are met, air-gapped backups are functioning correctly.
4. What are the prerequisites for EC2 air-gapped backups?
The following requirements must be satisfied:
1. Air-Gapped Backup Must Be Enabled
Ensure that the EC2 backup policy has:
Air-Gap Backup → Enable for EC2 = Enabled
2. A Matching Storage Rule Must Exist
A Storage Rule must be configured that matches:
AWS Account
AWS Region
Druva Storage Destination
Air-gapped backups are only created when a matching Storage Rule is available.
5. What should I do if my EC2 backups show "Air-Gapped Backup = No" and there are no corresponding EC2Image entries with "Yes"?
Perform the following checks:
Verify Air-Gap Backup Configuration
Open the Druva Management Console.
Navigate to the EC2 backup policy.
Confirm that Air-Gap Backup for EC2 is enabled.
Verify Storage Rules
Navigate to Druva Cloud → Storage Rules.
Confirm that a Storage Rule exists for:
The correct AWS account.
The correct AWS region.
A valid Druva storage destination.
Create a Storage Rule (if missing)
If no matching rule exists:
Add a new Storage Rule.
Select the appropriate AWS account.
Select the AWS region containing the EC2 instances.
Select the desired Druva Storage destination.
Save the configuration and run the backup again.
6. How long are local AWS snapshots (EC2Instance entries) retained?
Local AWS snapshots are retained according to the Local Copy Retention settings configured in the EC2 backup policy.
These retention settings apply only to the snapshots stored within your AWS account.
7. Does air-gapped backup for Amazon RDS work the same way as EC2?
The overall workflow is similar; however, Amazon RDS has an additional requirement.
For an RDS backup to be air-gapped:
The RDS instance must be encrypted using a Customer Managed Key (CMK).
Air-gap backup is not supported when:
The RDS instance is unencrypted.
The RDS instance uses an AWS-managed encryption key.
If these requirements are not met, the backup will not be stored as an air-gapped copy.